882 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [58] 



Seal-speak heads and lanyards — Continued. 



hand. When used, the ends of the lanyards are attached to a 

 long line, one end of which remains in the boat. The butt of 

 the pole is provided with a flaring piece of wood, which is used 

 as a finger-rest when the Indian thrusts the instrument into 

 the seal. Length, 15 feet 10 inches. Makah Indians, Neah 

 Bay, Washington Territory. 72,671. James G. Swan. 

 "Used by the natives in killing fur-seals. The canoe is paddled 

 silently to a short distance from the sleeping seal and the spear 

 thrust forcibly into the animal. The canoe is hauled by means 

 of the rope closer to the seal, which is dispatched by a blow on 

 the head with a club. The Indians invariably smash in the 

 skull of a seal even when the animal is killed by the thrust of 

 the spear, which is frequently the case. So universal is this 

 practice that I was unable, during a residence of three years at 

 Neah Bay, to obtain a perfect specimen of a skull, although 

 hundreds of skulls may be seen on the beach anyway during 

 the sealing season, but every one was fractured." — (J. G. Swan.) 



Seal-spear. 



Head made of a slightly curved piece of walrus ivory, driven into 

 a light cedar staff, and secured by seizing of fine sinew T ; wooden 

 socket in end receives adjustable double-barbed tip, to which 

 is fastened the line, made of sinew sennit. Length : staff, 50f 

 inches; head, 7| inches; tip, 1£ inches. Ooglaamie, Point 

 Barrow, Alaska, 1882. 72,789. Lieut. P. H. Bay, U. S. A. 



Seal-spear. 



Heavy, ivory head, driven into light cedar staff and secured by seiz- 

 ing of fine sinew; wooden socket in end receives detachable 

 barbed tip, to which is fastened the line made of twisted sinew. 

 Length: staff, 52f inches; head, 5 inches; tip, 2 inches. Oog- 

 laamie, Point Barrow, Alaska, 1882. 72,790. Collected by 

 Lieut. P. H. Bay, U. S. A. 



Seal- spear. 



Heavy, ivory head, driven into light cedar staff and secured by seizing 

 of fine sinew; wooden socket in end receives adjustable barbed 

 tip, to which is fastened the line made of sinew sennit. Length : 

 staff, 44 inches; head, 5£ inches; tip, If inches. Ooglaamie, 

 Point Barrow, Alaska, 1882. 72,791. Collected by Lieut. P. 

 H. Bay, U. S. A. 



Seal-spear. 



Heavy, ivory head, driven into light cedar staff and secured by seiz- 

 ing of fine sinew; wooden socket in end receives adjustable 

 barbed tip, to which is fastened the line made of sinew sennit. 



